Cutting tubes length wise
- Thread starter xtremek
- Start date
ford33
Well-known member
Bandsaw.
steel 35
Well-known member
Use angle iron for the straight edge, scribe it, leave the end attached skip an inch and cut 5 feet at a time leaving tab's to hold the shape, cut the tabs; Don't cut the middle one last 
Jack_Toepfer
Well-known member
I was going to only use 2 band saws mounted perpendicular to one another. The horizontal saw is on a jig that allows adjustment for the diameter of the tube.
metalmagpie
Well-known member
I run a track burner occasionally. Even flat plate will warp if you don't use the proper technique. You'd think you'd just start at the edge and cut right along your line until you were done. Not so - if you do that, the beginning of your cut might be 4" apart by the time you get to the other end depending on how long your cut is. If, however, you start about one inch in from the edge and cut straight across, the little one inch tab keeps the plate from warping and after you finish your cut you come back and cut the last inch.
If I were you I'd try this with your oxy-acetylene torch. You can pierce with the torch if you know how, or you can start at a drilled hole. Cut from the hole to the far end, then come back and cut from the hole to the near end. It might warp a little but maybe quite a bit less. Pipe is cheap - do some actual experimenting. All you have to lose is a few bucks and a few minutes.
A track burner would be the best way to make these torch cuts.
You can rent a plasma cutter at many local welding stores.
Please post back to let us know your experience however you choose to cut the tube.
metalmagpie
If I were you I'd try this with your oxy-acetylene torch. You can pierce with the torch if you know how, or you can start at a drilled hole. Cut from the hole to the far end, then come back and cut from the hole to the near end. It might warp a little but maybe quite a bit less. Pipe is cheap - do some actual experimenting. All you have to lose is a few bucks and a few minutes.
A track burner would be the best way to make these torch cuts.
You can rent a plasma cutter at many local welding stores.
Please post back to let us know your experience however you choose to cut the tube.
metalmagpie
LOL! Like one of those log splitter that quarters the log! Hey ,wait....
Leaving the 1" stress supports every 5 feet sounds like the best advice so far.